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beetree's review against another edition
5.0
A very different narrative voice of poetry and bent words that might take a time to get used but that's just as well because it will stop you from reading too quickly and without thinking. This is a beautiful book where so much about human nature is shown rather than told. It echoes and lingers with you long after you've finished.
I am privileged to count Leah among my friends and I'm so proud of her.
I am privileged to count Leah among my friends and I'm so proud of her.
deduvick's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite, but I do appreciate what the author did writing-, prose-wise. The MC's voice is like none other that I've ever read. And while I didn't really know most of the time where the story was going, I think the ending really made the whole book come together and raised my opinion of the story. Still, I'm going to give it 3 stars, but would willingly encourage anyone looking for a more challenging and thought-provoking title to pick this up.
_surri_'s review against another edition
2.0
This book was difficult. It was painful. This book should come with a big flashing neon trigger warning. It was not bad, but I don't know that I can say that it was good. By the time I was two chapters in, I felt that I owed it to the mind that needed to tell the stories of these broken troubled people to finish reading. And it was so very sad. I sort of feel like I need some therapy after finishing it. It will not stay on my shelves despite its pretty cover because it feels like the shadows.
kblincoln's review against another edition
5.0
Don't crack open "Above" unless you're prepared to enter wholly and completely Matthew/Teller's heart-wring, truth-telling, shadow-dark prose quest for Safe.
Matthew grew up with Safe; safe underground from the Whitecoats Above who would take Matthew and the others and take away their freedom and pride because they are Freaks.
But someone has betrayed them. They've let in shadows who can kill, and now Matthew's Above, trying to find a way back to Safe and keep his fragile bee-girl, Ariel, safe at the same time.
What horrors will Matthew remember and which will he forget in order to regain Safe?
The prose is Matthew's voice, his unorthodox way of processing the world Above as well as the nuances of the voices and facial expressions of the people who make up his family; Whisper with her ghost-friends, Jack and his scarred, dangerous hands, Doctor Marybeth with her wounded and great heart, and Ariel. Ariel who runs away, escapes at the slightest hint of discord. Ariel who is Sick and Broken and whom Matthew can love only by being soft and gentle.
Matthew's voice is compelling, emotional, and intense. I can see how some might not enjoy this immersive kind of storytelling that leaves you no room for negotiation- you feel what he feels. You see what he sees.
But in Above, its done masterfully. It takes only seconds to feel utterly immersed when you come back to the book.
I loved experiencing Matthew's journey. He learns the Tales he Tell aren't always true, and how the truth is complicated, messy, and heart-breaking. Sometimes Safe isn't enough. It's the ones we love that we hurt the most.
Leah Bobet is now on my instabuy list. Bravo.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like tortilla chips and hot, gooey nacho cheese for the encompassing, melting warmth of Matthew's voice
Matthew grew up with Safe; safe underground from the Whitecoats Above who would take Matthew and the others and take away their freedom and pride because they are Freaks.
But someone has betrayed them. They've let in shadows who can kill, and now Matthew's Above, trying to find a way back to Safe and keep his fragile bee-girl, Ariel, safe at the same time.
What horrors will Matthew remember and which will he forget in order to regain Safe?
The prose is Matthew's voice, his unorthodox way of processing the world Above as well as the nuances of the voices and facial expressions of the people who make up his family; Whisper with her ghost-friends, Jack and his scarred, dangerous hands, Doctor Marybeth with her wounded and great heart, and Ariel. Ariel who runs away, escapes at the slightest hint of discord. Ariel who is Sick and Broken and whom Matthew can love only by being soft and gentle.
Matthew's voice is compelling, emotional, and intense. I can see how some might not enjoy this immersive kind of storytelling that leaves you no room for negotiation- you feel what he feels. You see what he sees.
But in Above, its done masterfully. It takes only seconds to feel utterly immersed when you come back to the book.
I loved experiencing Matthew's journey. He learns the Tales he Tell aren't always true, and how the truth is complicated, messy, and heart-breaking. Sometimes Safe isn't enough. It's the ones we love that we hurt the most.
Leah Bobet is now on my instabuy list. Bravo.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like tortilla chips and hot, gooey nacho cheese for the encompassing, melting warmth of Matthew's voice
bigdreamsandwildthings's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, but I just found that I couldn't follow the story. Some parts made me go "wow this is fabulous" but there were too many other times that I found my attention wandering, just wanting to be done with the story. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it's certainly not one of my favourites.
allie_c_reads's review against another edition
1.0
The beginning of the books was amazing. It captured my attention immediately, but then nothing happened. Okay, change that. The same thing happened over and over. Ariel kept running away or Matthew would leave her. Whisper, Jack, and Matthew couldn't find anyone despite how hard they tried to do so and Corner and the shadows kept appearing. The book was confusing and made no sense. It never progressed. Above is one of the first books in the past couple of years that I did not finish. I stopped on page 247, completely bored out of my mind. Not recommended for anyone
readingundertheradar's review against another edition
1.0
See more reviews on my blog at http://happybooklovers-a-gogo.blogspot.com
I don't do this very often, but I had to give up. I made it almost to the end. About 250 pages in. And I still have no idea what is happening. The narrator has apparently never learned to speak properly or use real words, which is fine in some cases. But that, mixed with his use of proper nouns was too much. Some random words (it seems like) are capitalized, and then on second reference aren't, and sometimes he's talking about a thing and sometimes a person. I can't keep straight which is which and it's all entirely too confusing.
The book also jumps the reader right in the middle, which again, is fine in some cases. But then the author never went back and explained the things or what was going on, contributing to the "me not understanding anything in this book" feeling. I feel like this was the fourth in a series and I missed all the important explanation books. But I didn't.
I also don't read the blurbs before I start books. That's a personal thing. I like to be surprised. But there's surprised and there's confusing. Nowhere in the book did it tell the reader that Ariel was a bee. I was shocked when I flipped it over. I was picturing this weird fairy thing. We were offered no explanations behind the characters' powers, and some descriptions only existed in the blurb. Which I don't think is the way to write a book. I was excited to read this, but was left extremely disappointed and frustrated. I felt stupid that I didn't know what was going on, which was maddening. Not worth it for me.
I don't do this very often, but I had to give up. I made it almost to the end. About 250 pages in. And I still have no idea what is happening. The narrator has apparently never learned to speak properly or use real words, which is fine in some cases. But that, mixed with his use of proper nouns was too much. Some random words (it seems like) are capitalized, and then on second reference aren't, and sometimes he's talking about a thing and sometimes a person. I can't keep straight which is which and it's all entirely too confusing.
The book also jumps the reader right in the middle, which again, is fine in some cases. But then the author never went back and explained the things or what was going on, contributing to the "me not understanding anything in this book" feeling. I feel like this was the fourth in a series and I missed all the important explanation books. But I didn't.
I also don't read the blurbs before I start books. That's a personal thing. I like to be surprised. But there's surprised and there's confusing. Nowhere in the book did it tell the reader that Ariel was a bee. I was shocked when I flipped it over. I was picturing this weird fairy thing. We were offered no explanations behind the characters' powers, and some descriptions only existed in the blurb. Which I don't think is the way to write a book. I was excited to read this, but was left extremely disappointed and frustrated. I felt stupid that I didn't know what was going on, which was maddening. Not worth it for me.
kelsenator's review against another edition
I honestly tried to read this book all day, but not only was I very confused as to what was even going on, the writing of it just didn't get me to like it, I didn't like the style. I'm sure other people might enjoy or love this book, but it wasn't for me.
tynga's review against another edition
2.0
Imagine a world with monsters with strange powers locked in our mental institutions to protect the public and study them. Now imagine those monsters broke free and lived in the sewers under your city. Well, with Above you don’t have to imagine because it’s exactly what you get.. from the monsters’ perspective.
Above is another book I have mix feelings for. Leah Bobet is a Canadian debut author, Above is a dystopian book and it has this insanely pretty cover. From the moment I heard of it, I’ve been wanting to read it. Yet when I started reading, I quickly realized in wasn’t quite for me.
The writing is very peculiar, which isn’t a bad thing, I mean I appreciate original writing style as much as the next person, but I found that Bobet’s particular style didn’t work for me. The style really confused me from the get go, and add to that the fact that we don’t know the main character’s genre or name until page 31 and I left like, I too, was lost in a dark sewer tunnel. As you can see Above and I didn’t start on the right foot, but I kept on reading because I really wanted to like the book!
As I read on, I got used to the writing style and it improved my enjoyment on the book. Leah imagined a fantastic world, close enough to ours to be believable but with so much more under the surface, quite literally. Some people are born with defect such has fish gills and lion feet, other develop into weird creatures with time. For example, crab arms or powers over electricity or even more subtle gifts like ghost talking. Those people were feared an locked away, but some escaped and formed a Safe community underground, surviving and protecting each other as best as they could, living with an immense fear of Above.
The idea is that much more original because the story is told from the monster’s perspective. It’s really a great story about discrimination, fear, but also courage, strength and love. It’s about a small group of people trying to overcome challenges, fighting for safety in a world that wants the shun them out, forget they ever existed.
Bobet created a wide spectrum of characters, old and young, born Above and in Safe, male and female, all with different imperfections, providing an array of personalities among its rank. While I appreciated the diversity, I didn’t feel any connection with any of them, which really hit my enjoyment of the novel. Matthew and Ariel, the two main characters, were both weird and I had a hard time understanding their decisions. It’s evident they care for each other, but their relationship is very awkward. It’s beautiful in a way, but it wasn’t for me.
The plot line was good enough. The people from Safe were sent running when their Sanctuary was invaded by monsters worst than them and they fought as best as they could from Above, a world they don’t know, to retrieve their haven and uncover the mystery being those terrifying creatures.
What I liked the most about this novel is the butterfly effect Leah Bobet sneakily included in the book. She showed that every decision the characters make, even the ones that seem insignificant, have a huge effect on their own future, but also on everyone around them. The conclusion being the apogee of the whole concept.
This book is definitely worth a shot, and just because some aspect didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean you won’t like it. Above had a great concept and very good morals to share. I would say read the excerpt and see for yourself if Above is a book that might work for you =)
Above is another book I have mix feelings for. Leah Bobet is a Canadian debut author, Above is a dystopian book and it has this insanely pretty cover. From the moment I heard of it, I’ve been wanting to read it. Yet when I started reading, I quickly realized in wasn’t quite for me.
The writing is very peculiar, which isn’t a bad thing, I mean I appreciate original writing style as much as the next person, but I found that Bobet’s particular style didn’t work for me. The style really confused me from the get go, and add to that the fact that we don’t know the main character’s genre or name until page 31 and I left like, I too, was lost in a dark sewer tunnel. As you can see Above and I didn’t start on the right foot, but I kept on reading because I really wanted to like the book!
As I read on, I got used to the writing style and it improved my enjoyment on the book. Leah imagined a fantastic world, close enough to ours to be believable but with so much more under the surface, quite literally. Some people are born with defect such has fish gills and lion feet, other develop into weird creatures with time. For example, crab arms or powers over electricity or even more subtle gifts like ghost talking. Those people were feared an locked away, but some escaped and formed a Safe community underground, surviving and protecting each other as best as they could, living with an immense fear of Above.
The idea is that much more original because the story is told from the monster’s perspective. It’s really a great story about discrimination, fear, but also courage, strength and love. It’s about a small group of people trying to overcome challenges, fighting for safety in a world that wants the shun them out, forget they ever existed.
Bobet created a wide spectrum of characters, old and young, born Above and in Safe, male and female, all with different imperfections, providing an array of personalities among its rank. While I appreciated the diversity, I didn’t feel any connection with any of them, which really hit my enjoyment of the novel. Matthew and Ariel, the two main characters, were both weird and I had a hard time understanding their decisions. It’s evident they care for each other, but their relationship is very awkward. It’s beautiful in a way, but it wasn’t for me.
The plot line was good enough. The people from Safe were sent running when their Sanctuary was invaded by monsters worst than them and they fought as best as they could from Above, a world they don’t know, to retrieve their haven and uncover the mystery being those terrifying creatures.
What I liked the most about this novel is the butterfly effect Leah Bobet sneakily included in the book. She showed that every decision the characters make, even the ones that seem insignificant, have a huge effect on their own future, but also on everyone around them. The conclusion being the apogee of the whole concept.
This book is definitely worth a shot, and just because some aspect didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean you won’t like it. Above had a great concept and very good morals to share. I would say read the excerpt and see for yourself if Above is a book that might work for you =)